Despite Campaign Pledge, President Obama Refuses to Use Word ‘Genocide’ When Describing Slaughter of Armenians
EmailDespite a campaign promise that he would boldly use the word "genocide" as president when describing the Ottoman Empire’s slaughter of up to 1.5 million Armenians in the early part of the last century, President Obama deliberately avoided use of that word in his statement today on Armenian Remembrance Day.
"We’re profoundly disappointed," Aram Hamparian, executive director of the Armenian National Committee of America, told ABC News. "All the more so because his statements on this in his record before he became president nailed it in terms the facts, the practical side and the moral dimension. He repeatedly talked about this during the campaign, and he was really harsh on President Bush, he said it was inexcusable that Bush refused to acknowledge that this was genocide."
Hamparian says President Obama "finds himself doing exactly the thing he so sharply criticized the Bush administration for, which is being euphemistic and evasive. It’s a bitter thing for Armenian-Americans who really believed him and really worked hard."
In a July 28, 2006, letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, President Obama protested her decision to recall U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John for using the G-word.
“That the invocation of a historical fact by a State Department employee could constitute an act of insubordination is deeply troubling,” then-Sen. Obama wrote. “When State Department instructions are such that an ambassador must engage in strained reasoning — or even an outright falsehood — that defies of common sense interpretation of events in order to follow orders, then it is time to revisit the State Department’s policy guidance on that issue."
Obama told Secretary Rice that the “occurrence of the Armenian genocide in 1915 is not an ‘allegation,’ a ‘personal opinion,’ or a ‘point of view.’ Supported by an overwhelmingly amount of historical evidence, it is a widely documented fact."
But Mr. Obama’s statement today does not use the word. He calls the genocide “one of the great atrocities of the 20th century” and mentions the “1.5 million Armenians who were subsequently massacred or marched to their death in the final days of the Ottoman Empire.” He uses the Armenian term for “The Great Atrocity” — The Meds Yeghern -– and he calls for “a full, frank and just acknowledgment of the facts.”
But he does not use the word.
“He made it so clear throughout the campaign that that word mattered,” the ANCA’s Hamparian says.
That is indisputable. Mr. Obama said that “America deserves a leader who speaks truthfully about the Armenian Genocide and responds forcefully to all genocides. I intend to be that president.”
In a January 2008 letter to the Armenian Reporter, Mr. Obama said he shared “with Armenian Americans — so many of whom are descended from genocide survivors — a principled commitment to commemorating and ending genocide. That starts with acknowledging the tragic instances of genocide in world history.”
He stated unequivocally that “as president I will recognize the Armenian Genocide.”
Earlier this month when President Obama visited the critical U.S. ally Turkey –- whose leaders forbid in law calling the genocide a “genocide” –- Mr. Obama refrained from using it.
Standing with Turkish president Abdullah Gul, President Obama said that “my views are on the record and I have not changed views. What I have been very encouraged by is news that under President Gul’s leadership, you are seeing a series of negotiations, a process, in place between Armenia and Turkey to resolve a whole host of longstanding issues, including this one.”
Saying he wants to “be as encouraging as possible around those negotiations which are moving forward and could bear fruit very quickly very soon. And so as a consequence, what I want to do is not focus on my views right now but focus on the views of the Turkish and the Armenian people. If they can move forward and deal with a difficult and tragic history, then I think the entire world should encourage them.”
The Armenian National Committee of America at the time expressed disappointment, but held off on judging the president, waiting to see what he said today.
“We figured that he may have had one formula for visiting Turkey,” Hamparian said. He no longer believes that to be the case.
– jpt
Sen. DeMint: GOP Race Could Go Until Convention 
Obama Avoids Questions on Contraception Rule
As a second-generation Armenian-American President Obama has insulted and offended myself and my whole family.
My grandparents survived the genocide, came to America in 1915-1918. My father and uncles fought for America in World War 2 and Vietnam. My grandparents always told me “America is the greatest, most honest country in the world” They were proud Americans.
President Obama has offended every Armenian-American today.
When John McCain ran for president he made no promises t recognize the Armenian Genocide. At least he was honest, a liar is the worst person in the world.
Posted by: Jennifer | April 24, 2009, 2:47 pm 2:47 pm
Equally frustrating is that Obama refuses to use the word “victory” when talking about Surge in Iraq.
Posted by: carl | April 24, 2009, 2:55 pm 2:55 pm
Turkey runs and controls the US government. The president has no power.
Posted by: Mike | April 24, 2009, 2:57 pm 2:57 pm
Did you really expect him to keep his committment? Wait – there will be more – this man will ruin our country.
Posted by: Goldie | April 24, 2009, 2:58 pm 2:58 pm
Change We Can Believe In? No, its politics as usual Mr. President.
Posted by: Veh | April 24, 2009, 3:07 pm 3:07 pm
“Equally frustrating is that Obama refuses to use the word “victory” when talking about Surge in Iraq.
”
“158 Killed in Bombing in Iraq”
Posted by: Trend | April 24, 2009, 3:16 pm 3:16 pm
More expiration dates.
Obama is an expert at straddling fences.
He sees it as diplomacy I see a politician with no guts voting “present”.
Posted by: tyler | April 24, 2009, 3:21 pm 3:21 pm
As if one word makes that much difference. C’mon, people. “Genocide” versus what Obama actually said: “one of the great atrocities of the 20th Century…1.5 million Armenians who were subsequently massacured or marched to their death…”
Atrocities
Massacred
Marched to their death
Think the message was delivered?
Posted by: William J. LePetomane | April 24, 2009, 3:23 pm 3:23 pm
Shame on you President Obama. Is this the ‘CHANGE’ you promised during your election campaign. You missed your chance twice this month! Obama, you offended every Armenian today.
Posted by: Lila | April 24, 2009, 3:26 pm 3:26 pm
Once again, Obama didn’t use ‘genocide’ in his statement on massacre of Armenians on the anniversary of the day in 1915 that marked the beginning of the atrocities in Turkey: 24 april 2009…
Why is it so difficult to say the truth in America on the Armenian genocide as Ronald Reagan did?
Why Turkey is speaking for American when it comes to human rights?
Why someone who is so keen to critizise the US don’t dare to speak up the truth in order to appease the turkish government? He is more concern by the turkish opinon than by the moral standing of the US on the international stage?
Is it the so-called “Change We can Believe in”? If so Barack Obama is only a cynical politican…
So can we believe in moral and honesty in politics Governor?
Posted by: charles | April 24, 2009, 3:31 pm 3:31 pm
As if one word makes that much difference.
============
It’s a hot-button issue, and there are many who care deeply about that one word being used.
President Obama doesn’t have to use it, but when he was a candidate he acknowledged the importance of daring to use that word.
Posted by: MayBee | April 24, 2009, 3:34 pm 3:34 pm
Dear Mr. President,
I am very dissapointed, and so are 8 million Armenian around the world.
Posted by: Robert | April 24, 2009, 3:36 pm 3:36 pm
I’m an Armenian-American, and I’m not offended. Oddly, I was touched by his use of “Meds Yeghern”. My grandfather also fled during the genocide, and my great-grandparents from the Hamidian Massacres.
I feel that while it’s important to me that my country recognize the Armenian Genocide for what it was, it’s much more important for Armenia & Turkey to normalize relations so that Armenia can thrive as a nation.
Posted by: mo | April 24, 2009, 3:38 pm 3:38 pm
Why does he do this… so many broken promises
Posted by: not sold on obama yet | April 24, 2009, 3:40 pm 3:40 pm
Everything he says has an expiration date…
Posted by: HobokenJohn | April 24, 2009, 4:06 pm 4:06 pm
Turkey is a great ally.. we should never sell them short.. they have cooperated so many times during the cold war. Sometimes history is just what it is.. moving forward means that all countries do a lot of forgiving.
Posted by: DontGet818OnMeNow | April 24, 2009, 4:11 pm 4:11 pm
There was no so called Genocide, it was a war civil war, armenians lived with Turks 700 years before they started to killing of women and children while their Turkish fathers and brothers at the front figthing the enemy,they were deported and maybe 150 000 dies from heat,but l assure you armeanians killed just as many Turks,and sided with the enemy,they are aginst the sturdy of the events of 1915, the truth will come out, and they can not ask after the truth “”MONEY, armeanians form their unity of hating Turks and dreaming of cash, west exploits this to bargain with Turkey,MONEY,is the motivating force behind it,Turkey is our best allie in the reagion,with Israel,not the Armenia,they are Russian allie
Posted by: MMM | April 24, 2009, 4:27 pm 4:27 pm
All of Obama’s campaign promises come with an expiration date!
Samantha Power appealed to the Armenian community on behalf of Obama in February 2008. Power praised Obama’s “forthright statement” on the Armenian genocide, told us he’s never afraid to “call a spade a spade,” and assured us that that Barack Obama is “a person who can actually be trusted.”
“Take my word for it,” Power said as she personally vouched that he will follow through on his pledge.
Posted by: carl | April 24, 2009, 4:31 pm 4:31 pm
“The Armenian genocide is not an allegation, a personal opinion or a point of view, but rather a widely documented fact supported by an overwhelming body of historical evidence…America deserves a leader who speaks truthfully about the Armenian genocide and responds forcefully to all genocides.”
Posted by: Obama campaign website | April 24, 2009, 4:33 pm 4:33 pm
Obama is going back on his tax cut promise too.
Posted by: tommy | April 24, 2009, 4:35 pm 4:35 pm
Let’s Get real here, why would any nation live with their Minority for hundred of years and suddenly turn against them,actually during the Ottomon Empire when they were the rulers would not be easyer for them to do away with Armenians then, but why all of a sudden when the Empire was in their weakes moment to do this, well l tell you why,
Armenians took up arms and sided with Russians to gain their won province like others who got under Russia,for the Russians they want to do away with Turks and get acses to Mediterranian sea and they stil do so doeas the Americans and Americans who had Turkey in their side they enjoy it today ,Nato allie Turkey,instead Russian allie Armenia,Turks had no choice but to deport armenian killer, many armenians who did no killing stayed behind and still today living in Turkey,1,5 million get real here,total population was 1.5 million ,1 million came to US 300,000 went to Syria how who come up withthis numbers ,do you know what it takes to kill 1,5 million,Turks were fighting 5 fronts and still won and armenians were another front with in,
you just do not weake up one morning and decide to deport 1.5 million if there was no threath,Armenians even sent man to Greek army to fight Turks, and Russian army,what you call that but an ENEMY.let’s get real here,
Thank you
Posted by: Get Real | April 24, 2009, 4:45 pm 4:45 pm
oh my gosh you were conned! i guess you are happy he is in now. so what ever happens you got what you deserved.
Posted by: patriot58 | April 24, 2009, 4:45 pm 4:45 pm
I am not of Armenian descent, but I can recognize cowardice when I read/hear it. The President’s choice of politics over truth does not surprise me.
Posted by: AWC | April 24, 2009, 4:48 pm 4:48 pm
I just came from Iraq, and trust me Turks are very helpful to us,and we should never secrifice our Nato partner for a few congressman like Adam Schiff and othes who takes money From Armenian lobby to push this on US ,our national intrest comes first not the intrest of few politians,l am glad Obama seen the truth and the reality,which they do not know before they get in the office,
it is totally different ball game.
Thank you
Posted by: Kevin Y. | April 24, 2009, 5:04 pm 5:04 pm
I am very disappointed. I thought that President Obama was a man of his word and that he would stand for the right morals and not be influenced by another country’s dictating our foreign policy when it comes to crimes against humanity. We should not let opinions of wrongdoers to influence our moral standing.
Posted by: MARIE GENTILINI | April 24, 2009, 5:43 pm 5:43 pm
PRESIDENT OBAMA IS A COWERD he is not for JUSTIC he is for MONEY Look at what he said one year ago
In a statement on the anniversary of the start of the killings in 1915 — a day when U.S. presidents typically honor the Armenian victims — Obama said: “Each year, we pause to remember the 1.5 million Armenians who were subsequently massacred or marched to their death in the final days of the Ottoman Empire.”
The statement was less than the full and frank acknowledgment he promised Jan. 19, 2008, when he vowed that as president, “I will recognize the Armenian Genocide,” and repeatedly used the word.
An excerpt from that 2008 campaign statement, one of several he released on the subject:
“I also share with Armenian Americans — so many of whom are descended from genocide survivors — a principled commitment to commemorating and ending genocide. That starts with acknowledging the tragic instances of genocide in world history. As a U.S. Senator, I have stood with the Armenian American community in calling for Turkey’s acknowledgment of the Armenian Genocide.
“Two years ago, I criticized the Secretary of State for the firing of U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, John Evans, after he properly used the term ‘genocide’ to describe Turkey’s slaughter of thousands of Armenians starting in 1915. I shared with Secretary (Condoleezza) Rice my firmly held conviction that the Armenian Genocide is not an allegation, a personal opinion, or a point of view, but rather a widely documented fact supported by an overwhelming body of historical evidence. The facts are undeniable. An official policy that calls on diplomats to distort the historical facts is an untenable policy.
“As a senator, I strongly support passage of the Armenian Genocide Resolution (H.Res.106 and S.Res.106), and as President I will recognize the Armenian Genocide.”
ITs time to pack and move to MEXICO the ddrug carteles know more justice then the United States Judical system with our president
Posted by: Yuri | April 24, 2009, 5:55 pm 5:55 pm
We should care about our national interests here. Turkey is a strong Nato member, big contributor in Afghanistan and a stanch US ally in the middle east. On the other hand Armenia is a Russian ally still hosting Russian army in its soil, it has strong economic ties with Iran. Despite all of these, we keep donating billions of dollars to Armenia because of our cheap politicians trying to appease ethnic Armenians in their districts. Let’s stay out of this mess and let the historians sort it out for the right reasons rather politicians doing it for the wrong reasons.
Posted by: Heather | April 24, 2009, 6:51 pm 6:51 pm
The falacies of modern day Turkey … a muslim democracy … Turkey has nothing to do with Islam or Muslims. It is a well documented historical fact that most of the Muslim and Arab countries that were ruled by the Turks do not have many fond memories of the 4 centuries long Ottoman Turkish domination.
It is unfortunate that President Obama has chosen to address the Muslim nations from Ankara.
Posted by: VJ | April 24, 2009, 7:32 pm 7:32 pm
Armenians revolted against the tyranical Turkish rule just like every other national entity had done so before, during and after WWI … Greeks, Serbs, Assyrians, Hungarians, Russians, Arabs, Kurds, and the list goes on and on.
If Turks are interested in a historical approach to the issue of the attrocities which they have committed against the above listed people, then a good place to start would be … “from where and when did the Turks show up in Asia Minor to subjugate people in the territories in which they had lived for thousands of years … ?”
So to correct Mr. Turkish President … it is not the people who originally lived in these lands that have an identity issue. It is the Turks who need to do lots of soul searching and with that some identity search too.
The history books of these people are full of historical facts of the Seljuk Turk barbarism as they conquered these territories … in turning the Tigris and the Euphrates blue from throwing all teh books in the libraries of Baghdad into these rivers … and turning the same rivers red in slaughtering people in other instances.
It seems extremely unlikely that all these national groups have conspired in their historical stances to make the Turks the vilains of history.
Posted by: VJ | April 24, 2009, 7:50 pm 7:50 pm
Armenians have be massacred by the Turks well before the start of WWI.
There were massacres committed against the Armenians in the late 1800′s too.
The Turks claim that they started their campaign against the Armenians in 1915 because the Armenians were aiding the Russians. The facts are that the Turks attacked the Russians FIRST in an attempt to realize their Pan-Turkic aspirations in connecting with their Central Asian cousins.
They also claim that they Turks were escaping the Balkans because of attrocities commited against them by the Serbs the Greeks. The question again … what were the Turks of Central Asia doing at the doorsteps of Europe … I am sure they were not there sightseeing.
Posted by: VJ | April 24, 2009, 8:08 pm 8:08 pm
I was also disappointed, for Obama’s failure to describe the massacre of Palestinians as genocide.
Then again, once you call it by its true name, you are forced to act.
Posted by: Flash Override | April 24, 2009, 8:15 pm 8:15 pm
Shame on you Obama… You didn’t get my vote last time and you are not gonna get my vote next time either… And neither will you get it from the 1.5 million living in the US…
Posted by: Ed Sahakian | April 24, 2009, 8:20 pm 8:20 pm
As an Armenian American, I must say, Obama played us for a fool.
During his campaign he criticized Bush for playing politics with Genocide and how important it is to send a clear message about the first Genocide of 20th century..
What happened Mr. Obama?
Turkey has not been a great ally lately. They did not help us in Iraq, they have been very friendly to Hamas, they have repeatedly criticizes Israel , on and on and on..So, why Obama did this?
Is this the “change” he was talking about..I wonder what is Samantha Power thinking right now. She is one of her advisors, she wrote a book on Genocide and she promised Armenian community that Obama is really really really different kind of leader..hmmm
I regret my vote.
Posted by: Frieda | April 24, 2009, 8:36 pm 8:36 pm
Well I would say that world wide problems trump whatever happened a 100 years ago. I fail to get excited by this issue.
Posted by: Thinking | April 24, 2009, 8:38 pm 8:38 pm
There was no mass killings,Armenians started the killings first,now they cry foul,they want money thats why they use American Congreesman like Adam Schiff from Glendale to disregard US interest and push their own agenda,it is a shame these congressman do not think of their own countries interest reather think of Armenian interest where Armenia is a stunch lallyof Russia, not like Turkey is a NATO member,
United States is not a battle ground for old foes,go back to Armenia and take care of it there,we are not loosing Turkey and Turkish speaking countries 140 million for 4 million Armenians.sorry
Posted by: Kelly | April 24, 2009, 8:50 pm 8:50 pm
Armenians killed and masscared thousands of Azeri people in Khocali just 17 years ago, it was condemed by UNITED NATIONS, go check it out, this was just 17 years ago not 100,
l tell the American people stop these congressman from taking money from Armenian lobby and betray their own nation US in the process,l think these congresman are traitors.US and Turkey are best of friends.
Posted by: Orkan | April 24, 2009, 8:59 pm 8:59 pm
Get use to it! This is just one of many many many things that Obama lied about during his campaign.
Posted by: Jane | April 24, 2009, 9:45 pm 9:45 pm
As an Armenian-American. I understand that it will be a long time before the Genocide is recognized in America. I did not believe President Obama when he made that promise. Like many before him they looked right at us and lied. I personally voted for him. Not because of what he said,but because I believed in change. However President Obama I would rather you not say you are going to do something than say it and not do it. As for all you Turkish people who deny this ever happened. The Ottoman Empire can not only credit themselves with this genocide,but also that of the Jewish holocaust.That’s right you guys did influence Adolf Hitler. DENY THAT AS WELL
Posted by: VK | April 24, 2009, 11:07 pm 11:07 pm
sort of like your inability to use the word “torture”
Posted by: Andrew-PV | April 24, 2009, 11:11 pm 11:11 pm
The Turkish propaganda machine is out tonight. Several of the posters here have posted the exact same (verbatim) junk on several other sites.
Myth: Armenians rebelled, there was civil war, that’s why they were killed.
Fact: There was a documented, systematic program of extermination of Armenians in place long before 1915. WWI simply served as the perfect cover for a “final solution” to the “Armenian question”. Even the Turkish archives, until recent years, contained some documents detailing this.
Furthermore, even if some Armenians defected to Russia during WWI, it can NEVER be used as justification for slaughtering over a MILLION innocent people. By that same logic, since many Jews ran from Germany, financially supported the allies against Germany, and even took arms against Germany, the Nazis were justified in perpetrating the Holocaust? That is INSANE reasoning.
Myth: There is debate among historians regarding what happened.
Fact: The only “historians” who do not accept the Armenian Genocide as historical fact are those whose salaries are paid by the Turkish government and lobby (look up the endowed professorships at various universities). The TENS of THOUSANDS of documents in US and German archives alone, not to mention all the eyewitness accounts and photos, UNEQUIVOCALLY bear witness to the FACT of the Armenian Genocide.
Myth: “Real” Armenians who live in Armenia don’t care about Genocide recognition.
Fact: Using the term “real Armenians”, which implies that there are somehow “fake” Armenians, is insulting beyond belief (compare to this – “real” Jews or “real Americans”).
Myth: Armenians hate Turks.
Fact: Most Turkish people have an intense dislike for Armenians. Any mention of the Armenian Genocide in Turkey is grounds for arrest and detention. There are NO negative consequences in Armenia or among Armenians anywhere to hold ANY position regarding Turkey, including a positive one.
On a personal note, my grandparents lost their entire families, my grandmother witnessed the murders of her parents and siblings in their own yard, my grandfather found his family dead in their house. They were peaceful, successful farmer, who had NEVER harmed anyone and had NOT “betrayed” Turkey in any way. They met on the run, and were saved by a Turkish family. Armenians do not hate Turks, some of us would not be here if it weren’t for brave, decent Turks who risked their own lives to save many innocent Armenian lives. It is the Turkish government’s continued propaganda of distortion, hate, falsification that plants and cultivates hatred in generation after generation of Turkish citizens, as evidenced by the comments on this site.
As far as President Obama’s statements, I am deeply disappointed because the only possible explanations for his behavior are the following:
A. He is a liar.
or
B. He did not realize that there are political consequences to using the word Genocide before he took office, which means he was ill-informed and unprepared.
Both of these are painful for me to accept since I campaigned for him tirelessly with the conviction that neither of the above would every apply to him.
Posted by: Disappointed | April 24, 2009, 11:25 pm 11:25 pm
Let’s see, the Armenians were Christian, the Turks were Muslim, weren’t they? Mr. Obama’s new position is hard to understand?
Posted by: Terry | April 24, 2009, 11:31 pm 11:31 pm
As has been said, all promises from the Messiah have expiration dates. The date being when it’s politicaly convenient for him to break his promise. You’re only fooled if you belive him and his lies.
Posted by: IK | April 25, 2009, 12:13 am 12:13 am
Let’s go surfin’ now
Everybody’s learnin’ how
Do some waterboardin’ with me!
Posted by: Foxwood | April 25, 2009, 1:30 am 1:30 am
Obama like Bush before him is a worm.
Posted by: Burt | April 25, 2009, 1:52 am 1:52 am
Turkish propaganda would want to brand the Armenian-Turkish conflict as a conflict between Christians and Mulims.
That is an absolute falacy.
Throughout its long history, Armenia has been run over and occupied by Arabs (Muslim caliphates) as well as Persians (Zoroasterians as well as Muslims).
None of these have committed any Genocides against the Armenians (civilians, intellectuals, farmers, elderly, women and/or children). Their armies fought wars and battles some they won and some others the Armenians did.
The proof is the flourishing of the Armenian culture in the Arab (majority Muslim)societies such as Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Egypt as well as Persia. However, the same can not be said about the Armenian, or for that matter, any other culture (even Muslim) under the Turkish rule.
Turkish crimes against the Armenians and others under their tyrannical rule should never be justified through the lenses of a Christian-Muslim conflict.
Posted by: VJ | April 25, 2009, 5:36 am 5:36 am
It seems that the Turks, history’s best scavengers, are always lurking in the muddy waters of international politics to persue their Genocidal endeavors.
At the closing years of the Ottomans, they embarked on the extermination of the Armanian people (among others) in Western Armenia whose land they occupied for over 4 centuries.
Fast forward to the closing years of the Soviet Union, their Azeri cousins, thought they could persue the same Genocidal endeavors against the Armenian population in Nagorno-Karabagh and beyond.
This time around the following could not have sounded ever more true:
“If you fool me once then shame on YOU. But if you fool me twice then shame on ME.”
Posted by: VJ | April 25, 2009, 5:57 am 5:57 am
As a U.S. Senator, Mr. Obama bashed then Secretary of State Rice on the issue of the firing of the U.S. Ambassador to Armenia at the time, Mr. Evans, for speaking the truth and calling the attrocities perpetrated by the Turks against the Armenians in 1915 as Genocide.
I wonder, who is going to fire Mr. Obama if and when he uses the word “Genocide”.
Posted by: VJ | April 25, 2009, 6:09 am 6:09 am
The “Statist” Democrat says anything to get elected.
Posted by: Mike | April 25, 2009, 9:01 am 9:01 am
I wonder why the MSM didn’t show the angry protests in CA aimed at Obama for breaking this pledge?
Posted by: meggie | April 25, 2009, 10:47 am 10:47 am
I googled it.. the ‘G’ word was not ‘coined’ until 1944..
Posted by: DontGet818OnMeNow | April 25, 2009, 4:20 pm 4:20 pm
The Pandering Prince is busy thinking up words to re-define every distasteful event that has ever happened since time began. Don’t you just love his new word for Terrorism: “Man Made Disaster?” What a “Jimmy Carter Joke” this doofus is turning out to be. Thank gawd we only have 1,356 days to go before we can boot this amateur out.
Posted by: Peggy | April 25, 2009, 4:59 pm 4:59 pm
One of premises of the “coining” of the word “Genocide” were the massacres committed by the Turks against the Armenians in 1915.
Posted by: VJ | April 25, 2009, 6:06 pm 6:06 pm
The Armenians revolted against the tyrannical and oppressive Turkish rule over THE HISTORICAL ARMENIAN TERRITORIES which lasted over 4 centuries.
Since when did a people’s revolt against such tyrannical and barbaric rulers on their own soil justify their extermination.
To draw a historical parallel, the American colonies under the leadership of George Washington (the Father of our country) revolted against the tyrannical rule of the British.
Thank God the British at the time did not go so far as to massacre the colonists for their revolt.
In this, the Turks are really in an unenviable class of their own.
Posted by: VJ | April 25, 2009, 6:19 pm 6:19 pm
“Well I would say that world wide problems trump whatever happened a 100 years ago. I fail to get excited by this issue.
Posted by: Thinking | Apr 24, 2009 8:38:21 PM”
Soooo, 100 years ago is the limit…which of course puts Bush, Iraq, and of course Vietnam well within the target range.
I guess also, that the plight of Native Americans and Latin Americans does not concern you and your Lib friends any longer? So the first 400 years of the 500 years the “Open Veins” book you all were so excited about on this site and elsewhere last week is no longer an issue worth bringing up? So, we will no longer have any problem with celebrating Thanksgiving and Columbus Day?
Glad we got that settled!
See, all it takes is Dear Leader to OK something, either directly or through inaction, no matter how long ago, and the sheep will bleat and follow along in lockstep. Because they’re incapable of any criticism of their demigod whatsoever.
Posted by: RR GOP | April 25, 2009, 6:31 pm 6:31 pm
We have a one-termer on our hands, folks.
Posted by: paul | April 25, 2009, 7:27 pm 7:27 pm
Guess these Armenians Democrats will never learn. I would never trust a man who says “I was 8 years old when Ayers was bombing” or “You can’t blame me for the bay of pigs, I was only 3 months old”. Anyone who makes excuses to excuse himself is a sign of a weak man.
Posted by: Nancy | April 26, 2009, 4:30 am 4:30 am
To those who are so proud and honored to call Turkey a crucial ally of the United States:
Elazig is just one place where Armenians were killed by Ottoman soldiers and Kurdish tribesmen in the spring and summer of 1915. But because several foreigners were living in the area and recorded what they saw, the killings here were unusually well documented.
One of the foreigners was an American consul, Leslie Davis, who took a trip around Lake Hazar, then known as Lake Golcuk, after the massacres. “Thousands and thousands of Armenians, mostly helpless women and children, were butchered on its shores and barbarously mutilated,” he later wrote.
The concrete evidence which support the fact of the Genocide perpetrated by the Turks against the Armenians (as well as so many other people) does not only shame those who so ignorantly and errogantly call Turkey a “crucial” ally … in fact it puts the existence of Turkey itself into question.
Posted by: VJ | April 26, 2009, 6:31 am 6:31 am
So… You are offended he did not use a term in a speech, but he has already admitted that it was a genocide and when questioned about it said “my views did not change.”
Ok? Be offended.
Posted by: Matt | April 26, 2009, 12:31 pm 12:31 pm
Armenia is an economically poor country with a population of less than 3 million. The population of the Armenian Diaspora, however, is approximately twice the population of Armenia. Moreover, Diaspora Armenians are wealthier than the Armenian government. There is an imbalance. We can say that if Turkey had 140 million abroad in the Turkish Diaspora, and if they were more economically and intellectually powerful than the Turks in Turkey, then Turkish politics would be controlled by the Turkish Diaspora. Armenia Armenians want to open the land borders and normalize relations with Turkey as soon as possible. However, Diaspora Armenians struggle to continue the problems between Turks and Armenians forever, since the identity of Diaspora Armenians is built on problems with Turkey. They think that if the problems are removed, their identity will be assimilated. If the dependence between Armenia and Diaspora can be broken, problems could be solved quickly, but this is very difficult. Diaspora Armenians are even able to vote in Armenian elections. There is an emotional and an irrational dimension in Armenian politics that is the most difficult point for Turkey. The emotional dimension depends on Diaspora Armenians. Because of this, the negotiations between the two countries have been carried out in secret. If open negotiations continue, the Armenian government might collapse. Tashnaks especially think that even establishing dialogue with Turkey is a betrayal to Armenia.
Armenians killed just many Turks no one talks about that do they
Posted by: hyt | April 26, 2009, 8:56 pm 8:56 pm
First and foremost, there has always been one and ONLY one Armenian nation … ONLY one Armenian people … ONLY one Armenian identity. The Armenian people, civilization, homeland and identity have been around for over 3000 years.
Furthermore, Armenians, be it in Armenia or in the Diaspora, have demonstarted a great degree of INTELLECTUAL apptitude.
Absolutely, there is a TRUE emotional aspect of any rapprochement between Armenia and Turkey by ALL Armenians and rightfully so. Turks have massacred the Armenians and occuped their territory, a well documented fact of history.
This is in stark contrast to the FALSE “insult to Turkishness” which is based on a fabricated history that sees the Turks as victims, and which the Turks have been taught and let to believe by their governments and their hired mercinaries.
Obviously, there are many difficult issues for Turkey and acknowledging their Genocidal behavior, past and present, is only one of those difficulties.
Armenia might be a small landlocked country struggling for survival after 70 years of Soviet domination and a Genocide perpetrated against its people by the Turks before that. Even with all the conspiracies against its existence and survival, it is in the process of building a viable democracy. Of the countries which it neighbors, Armenia has serious issues only with the Turks and Azeris (two faces of the same coin).
Turkey, however, has issues with every country that it borders … Armenia, Iraq, Iran, Greece, Cyprus, Bulgaria and Syria, not to mention the minorities living in it … talk about irrational and emotionally unstable existence.
Posted by: VJ | April 27, 2009, 3:59 am 3:59 am
as an armenian-american i hoped for the best when Obama made this promise. i cried, when he mentioned the armenians, while in turkey. it wasn’t much, but more than we have gotten in a good long time.
the turkish government, wiped the town that my grandparents grew up off the map. it no shows no sign that it once was on armenian land. the name has changed the grave stones are gone, everything is gone. the turkish government will get theirs in the end, karma is a slap in the old face.
i am proud of my heritage, i weep for my ancestors that didn’t make it to the states and the horror that those that did make had to face.
our president will get another call for this hye today!
Posted by: judy | April 27, 2009, 9:22 am 9:22 am
Just another example of Obama PROVING what I said about him all along. He IS just another politician. Very likeable, very well spoken at times, but, still underneath the chrome, its the same old thing.
He will say whatever he needs to today to whatever group he is addressing to appease them. 3 months from now, he will completely contradict what he says today.
No real change here, certainly nothing new!
Posted by: Mike_C | April 27, 2009, 12:49 pm 12:49 pm